'The Illustrated Mum' by Jacqueline Wilson

Genre: Children's Literature

I think it is fair to assume that most people have heard of the accredited children’s writer Jacqueline Wilson. She conjures up feelings of nostalgia for many readers, I for one loved her books growing up and was very happy to hear I had to read one of her novels for a module in uni, and one I had never read too!

Like all of Wilson’s novels, the protagonist is a young girl who is in the midst of family, love, friendship, and bullying struggles. ‘The Illustrated Mum’ really struck a chord with me, Wilson has used young mothers in her novels before, but Marigold has some troubling issues, such as alcoholism and bad mental health. Wilson is not one to shy away from some adult or “grownup” situations in her writing, and this novel definitely follows this tradition. Some scenes had me completely shocked and worried for the main character, Dol, who has to grow up so fast in order to “fix” the situation with her mother.

I also love how Wilson is not afraid to only use traditional happy endings as a children’s writer. The ending of ‘The Illustrated Mum’, some would say, is not a happy ending and could have concluded in a warmer and nicer way. But to do that would be to disregard everything Marigold put Dol and her sister through throughout the novel, so I think the ending suited it perfectly and also teaches a valuable lesson.

Another aspect I really enjoyed is how the chapters were named. Each chapter is named after a tattoo that Marigold has on her body, such as ‘Eye’ or ‘Bat’, and within that given chapter Dol either tells the story behind the tattoo or how it makes her feel or remembers about her mother.

I know this book will not be for everyone, especially some older readers, but I must give credit to Wilson for always being able to write a children’s novel that is informative of some modern issues and therefore something young people can relate to and seek help from.

Rating: * * * *